School Districts Need Help From Legislators
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This letter to the editor was printed October 22, 2004, in the Marinette
Eagle Herald newspaper.
By Thomas Baribeau
Marinette Education Association president
The cost-saving measures being used by many public and private companies
and service organizations have hit Wisconsin workers hard. Private companies
that have trimmed back their labor force have seen increases in insurance
costs, economic problems and governmental policies that do not help
with their situation.
Educators in Wisconsin have seen the same things impact our profession
since 1993. Governmental mandates are typically not funded by those
governmental agencies. The revenue limit and QEO laws have made it harder
for school districts to provide the required services and facilities,
while trying to maintain a quality educational system.
In a recent interview, Rep. John Gard stated that the Marinette Public
Schools have 600 fewer students than 10 years ago, yet spend more. He
conveniently neglected to mention the many required programs and services
that the government has mandated, yet failed to fund. There is inflation,
health care cost increases and multiple other reasons for expenses to
increase over a 10-year period.
I find it interesting that Gard mentions higher spending, but fails
to mention the many cost-cutting measures that the district has implemented.
One such change involved district staff submitting a mileage log for
reimbursement of actual mileage involved in the performance of their
jobs, such as the elementary specialists who travel between buildings.
The district did away with the old flat fee estimate for mileage. How
much would the state save if Gard were to submit an actual mileage log,
rather than getting reimbursed for "commuting" to Madison
from Peshtigo?
At the last district Ad Hoc Committee meeting, Marinette's mayor suggested
having community members, community leaders and teachers go to Madison
for a Lobby Day. I have attended three such Lobby Days in Madison, and
would welcome community leaders and community members to go to the next
one. This is one way to try to get the Legislature to understand that
the present revenue limits and cuts are extremely harmful to Wisconsin
cities and schools, and thus our children.
We all need to get the attention of the legislative body, so that they
see the negative impacts of their present funding plans on communities
and schools. Our children deserve better. They deserve a safe community,
great schools and a state in which they will want to raise their own
children.
Wisconsin has long led the nation in certain academic measures, such
as ACT scores. Those types of things actually do attract people to live
in certain areas. We need people moving into Wisconsin, rather than
rushing to leave.
Action needs to be taken to get the legislature to develop an equitable,
fair and reasonable system of distribution of funds to communities and
school districts, as well as returning the right of fair contractual
bargaining for education professionals.
From Our Readers main page
Posted November 4, 2004